Sean O’Malley (20-3, 1 NC) is pushing for a UFC bantamweight title shot against champion Petr Yan, making the case that a rematch between the two would be the biggest fight the UFC can currently make in the 135-pound division.
Yan avenged his 2023 loss to Merab Dvalishvili by upsetting him in their December 2025 rematch to reclaim the 135-pound belt, and is expected to face Dvalishvili in a trilogy bout next. However, O’Malley, who holds a split decision victory over Yan from their first meeting that took place in October 2022, wants to cut in line and be Yan’s next title challenger.
“I’ve been hearing Petr and Merab are going to fight for a long time — still nothing booked,” O’Malley said on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. “One of those guys is obviously holding it up, and I don’t think it’s Merab. I think Merab would fight with his arm cut off. So I think Petr is probably just dealing with some injuries,” O’Malley
O’Malley drew on his own history with Dvalishvili to argue that Yan’s caution is understandable, while using it to strengthen his own pitch.
“You can’t fight Merab on half-assed camps. You need to be fully healthy. Petr probably knows that. But also, if they want me vs. Petr next — me vs. Petr Yan 2 is the biggest fight in bantamweight history. I think it’s the biggest one you could possibly make right now, and the UFC would be risking it making Merab vs. Petr,” O’Malley